“I love you. I never lied about that.”

Seldom do we encounter sappy dialogue like that in an animated superhero movie/series that actually works.Â It all started when Thanagarian (Hawk people) forces arrived on earth and claimed that they wanted to help us in repelling an invading alien armada known as Gordanians.Â Of course, it was just a ruse, and the Thanagarians real intent is to use earth as part of a bypass link that will deliver a deadly blow to their mortal enemies.Â Problem is earth will be destroyed in the process.Â That doesn’t exactly sound okay to the Justice League, who promptly confronted the Thanagarians to destroy the bypass machinery that was going to obliterate the world.

In the middle of it all is Hawkgirl, Justice League member and secretly a Thanagarian officer whose true purpose for being on earth is to scout its defensive capabilities against alien invaders.Â It was bad enough that her JL teammates learned she was a spy – it didn’t matter that her intentions were benevolent.Â But then it turned out she was also engaged to the Thanagarian forces commander, Hro Talak, a revelation that dealt a vicious blow to Green Lantern John Stewart, another Justice Leaguer who had started a relationship with Hawkgirl some months before.

Short version: When Hawkgirl discovered that the real plan would involve the total destruction of earth, she betrayed her commission and told the Justice League about the true plan.Â In the end, they won, of course.Â But not without serious repercussions.Â Because of the shocking revelations about Hawkgirl’s real mission, most of the Leaguers couldn’t bring themselves to trust her again despite her sacrifice that resulted in her being branded a traitor by her own people.Â She knew this, and so while the others voted on whether to allow her to stay in the Justice League or boot her out, she didn’t wait for the verdict and decided to resign.

Green Lantern, who was most affected by the turn of events, was torn.Â If your job is to be the first line of your planet’s defense, it’s hard to trust someone who turns out to be an alien spy.Â That was the problem of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and Jon Stewart couldn’t give a hoot’s damn about it.Â For him, after learning that Hawkgirl had been living a lie all these years, he just isn’t sure anymore about her real feelings for him.Â For all he knew, he was just part of her cover.Â And that scared him.Â He loved her with all his heart, and now he’s afraid that his feelings are pointing at nothing but a black and empty void.

Getting the chance, John confronted Shayera to know once and for all.Â Walking out of Wayne Manor, he found her waiting by the cliff, bathed in the sad hue of the red-orange sunset.Â It seems she also has something to say.Â That terrified him even more.Â But he needs closure, whatever that turns out to be.

John: “You never asked how we voted.”

Shayera: “It doesn’t matter.”

John: “So… where are you gonna go?”

Shayera: “I don’t know.Â Some place where the fate of the world isn’t in my hands.Â Some place where there are no more secrets.Â No more lies.”